Regular exploration, frequent visits o astronauts into space and increasing costs made it necessary to develop a re-usable space craft which could be sent, into space, complete it’s mission and return to Earth and then be re-used. As a result of developmental work in this area, the first space shuttle, called ‘Columbia’ was launched into space by the United States of America in April 1981. The space shuttle resembles a small bulky aircraft, it has swept back wings and a tail like a jet and a nose and cockpit like a passenger aircraft. It is about sixty feet long and has a cargo area of fifteen feet. It carries a crew of seven and has all the necessary facilities for them. The inner side of the bay doors has Solar Panels which change sunlight into electricity which powers various gadgets inside the shuttle. The main body of the shuttle has a cargo bay in the middle and the roof of this bay splits open like two hatches which allow the cargo to be released in space. Like an areoplane the flight cabin is located in the front and on the deck below it are the crew quarters where the astronauts eat and sleep. This bay also houses a mechanical arm which helps the astronauts in lifting the cargo and re-leasing it in space. Prior to launch the shuttle is mounted on a booster rocket and two large tanks of liquid propellant. At launch the shuttle is fired into space with the help of the booster rocket and once it reaches an altitude of forty kilometres, the booster rocket and the propellant tanks arc jettisoned. These land with the help of parachutes and are recovered for re-use. Once detached from the boosters, the shuttle’s own thrust engines carry it into space for another 300 kms. In outer space, the crew Open the cargo hatches and release the cargo in space or collect malfunctioning satellites for bringing back to earth. When required the auxiliary engines are activated and the shuttle leaves its orbit and begins it’s glide back to Earth. Entry into the earth’s atmosphere heats up the outer body of the shuttle but the interiors are well insulated to protect the astronauts. On reaching the Earth, it lands on a runway and can now be serviced and re-used in the same manner.

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